Reproduction/recording apparatus having a divisible housing for disc-shaped recording carriers and a reproduction/recording head mounting rack

Abstract

A divisible stocker capable of housing a plurality of CDs is arranged in an enclosure of an autochanger apparatus. A rack mounting a PU unit, which is a reproduction head of a CD is arranged between the stocker and an opening of the enclosure. Transfer means for transferring the CD between the opening and the stocker is also mounted on the rack. The rack is vertically movable. When reproducing a CD, selecting any of the CDs in the stocker at first, turning a feed screw in a state where a pawl of a dividing sliding member is positioned below any of dividing projections arranged at corresponding position on the both sides of the stocker, causing a PU unit to advance into a space formed by raising the stockers above the selected CD, dividing the same and causing an upward displacement thereof, attaching the CD on a turntable of the PU unit by lowering the divided stocker, and transferring the CD to the turntable by displacement means which causes the PU unit to return to the PLAY position.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus comprising: 
       an enclosure provided with a slot through which naked recording carriers can be inserted into said enclosure or ejected from said enclosure;  
       a housing assembly for housing a plurality of the recording carriers, said housing assembly being selectively dividable in order to create a space in which a selected one of the recording carriers can be accessed;  
       transfer means, disposed in said enclosure, for individually transferring the recording carriers between said slot and said divisible housing assembly; and  
       reproduction/recording means for performing reproduction/recording of the recording carriers, wherein said reproduction/recording means is movable into a space created by dividing said housing assembly so as to receive thereon a selected recording carrier from a position in which the selected recording carrier is fully inserted in said housing assembly.  
     
     
       2. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  1 , further comprising a first lifting means for moving said housing assembly upward and downward. 
     
     
       3. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  2 , further comprising a second lifting means for moving said reproduction/recording means upward and downward. 
     
     
       4. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said reproduction/recording means is movable out of the space, created by dividing said housing assembly, to a position at which reproduction/recording of the selected recording carrier can be performed. 
     
     
       5. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  1 , further comprising control means for controlling said housing assembly, in an insertion or ejection operation, so that said housing assembly is moved as a single unit in an upward direction or a downward direction in order to align a housed position of one of the recording carriers in said housing assembly with said slot, and 
       in a reproduction or recording operation, said control means divides said housing assembly at a specific location which corresponds to said housed position and moves said reproduction/recording means up or down in order to align the space created by dividing said housing assembly with the position of advance or withdrawal of said reproduction/recording means.  
     
     
       6. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said housing assembly comprises a plurality of stacked housing members. 
     
     
       7. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  1 , further comprising: 
       displacement means for advancing said reproduction/recording means into or withdrawing said reproduction/recording means from the space created by dividing said housing assembly;  
       driving means for driving said transfer means; and  
       transmission means for selectively transmitting a driving force of said driving means to said displacement means.  
     
     
       8. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said housing assembly is selectively dividable independently of the recording carriers. 
     
     
       9. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said housing assembly is adapted to house a plurality of naked recording disks. 
     
     
       10. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  1 , wherein said housing assembly is adapted to house a plurality of compact disks, or laser disks. 
     
     
       11. A slot-in reproduction/recording apparatus capable of housing a plurality of naked disc/shaped recording carriers in an enclosure, said slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus comprising: 
       divisible housing means having a holding section for holding the disk-shaped recording carriers;  
       reproduction/recording means capable of advancing into and withdrawing from a space created by dividing said divisible housing means;  
       attaching means, provided in said reproduction/recording means, for attaching the recording carriers; and  
       control means for, during a reproduction/recording operation, advancing said reproduction/recording means into the space created by dividing said divisible housing means to receive and attach to said attaching means one of the recording carriers that is fully inserted in said divisible housing means, and thereafter withdrawing said reproduction/recording means in order to release the one recording carrier received from said holding section of said divisible housing means, and thereby controlling reproduction or recording operations of the one recording carrier.  
     
     
       12. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  11 , wherein upon completion of a reproduction/recording operation, said control means controls said reproduction/recording means to advance it into the space created by dividing said divisible housing means, and to expand a divided portion of said divisible housing means in a direction of division in order to detach the disc-shaped carrier attached to said attaching means of said reproduction/recording means. 
     
     
       13. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  11 , further comprising: 
       displacement means for advancing said reproduction/recording means into or withdrawing said reproduction/recording means from the space created by dividing said divisible housing means;  
       driving means for driving said transfer means; and  
       transmission means for selectively transmitting a driving force of said driving means to said displacement means.  
     
     
       14. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  11 , wherein said divisible housing means can be selectively dividable independently of the naked disk-shaped recording carriers. 
     
     
       15. A slot-in type of reproduction/recording apparatus for permitting individual insertion or ejection of a plurality of naked disc-shaped recording carriers, said apparatus comprising: 
       an enclosure having a slot through which the recording carriers can be individually inserted and ejected;  
       divisible housing means having a holding section for holding the recording disk-shaped carriers;  
       transfer means for transferring the recording carriers between said slot and said divisible housing means, wherein said transfer means engages surfaces of the recording carriers only when the surfaces are located within said enclosure;  
       reproduction/recording means for performing a reproduction or recording operation of the disc-shaped recording carriers, said reproduction/recording means being capable of advancing into and withdrawing from a space created by dividing said divisible housing means,  
       said reproduction/recording means including attaching means which is engagable with a center hole of a specified one of the recording carriers while the specified recording carrier is completely inserted in said housing means; and  
       control means for aligning said transfer means with respect to said divisible housing means during insertion or election of one of the recording carriers.  
     
     
       16. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  15 , wherein upon completion of a reproduction/recording operation, said control means controls said reproduction/recording means to advance it into the space created by dividing said divisible housing means, and to expand a divided portion of said divisible housing means in a direction of division in order to detach the disc-shaped carrier attached to said attaching means of said reproduction/recording means. 
     
     
       17. The slot-in type reproduction/recording apparatus as claimed in claim  15 , further comprising: 
       displacement means for advancing said reproduction/recording means into or withdrawing said reproduction/recording means from the space created by dividing said divisible housing means;  
       driving means for driving said displacement means; and  
       transmission means for selectively transmitting a driving force of said driving means to said displacement means.